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RikkiBobbi

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Curious what the masses here think about Zipfit versus Intuition? Would eventually like to put some in my Raptors. Don't really have a goal for doing so (ie warmer, softer, etc).

Thoughts?
 

nemesis256

Patrick
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Nothing compares to Zipfit. I got some last season and love them. Hoping to get another pair this season because I don't want to keep switching the liners between my alpine and AT boots.

I worry about the future of the company though. Sven is aging, and I don't know if there are people to take over.
 

Ulmerhutte

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Another vote for Zipfit. That is based on 300+ days experience in those liners. Much better experience and longevity compared to everything else I have used, including Strolz and Sidas foam liners. No experience however with Intuition.

I have found Zipfits to be very comfortable, probably partly because you don’t need to screw the buckles down to race-tightness to achieve great heel & forefoot hold-down. Some reviewers have said they are cold, but I cannot say I have noticed any significant difference between them and foam or stock liners. Using the recommended approach of putting the liners on first and then the shell (and the opposite for removal) is easy. It also means the liner is out of the boot each night, allowing them to dry out better.

The negatives? After 300 days, they now look really trashed from the abrasion caused by repetitive insertion / extraction into and out the boot shell. They still function, but the cosmetics are not good! The toe box is made of neoprene, which is not water-proof. If your shell leaks, then your feet will get wet. Finally... they are expensive (but possibly not on a $/day basis).
 

Lorenzzo

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I have two pair of the Gara, never used Intuitions. Having two pair tells you how I feel about them, they aren't cheap. I like that they can be moved to different boots and have fill taken out or added at any time. Foam liners are supposedly one boat ponies although some here have apparently successfully switched theirs to other boots. My first set only has 110 or so days on them but there is no perceptible wear cosmetic or otherwise. I have friends with over 500 days on theirs that are still going strong but you do run into some who wear them out more quickly, particularly the top of the tongue.

They're warmer than the stock liners for my Lange RS but maybe comparable perhaps slightly warmer compared to my Lange RX. One reason I have two pair is not only avoiding mini break-in from a switch but as pointed out the product has been heavily dependent on one individual who is older than most of us, so I view it as life insurance. I don't find too many products worth insuring.
 

Dave Petersen

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Another vote for Zipfit. That is based on 300+ days experience in those liners. Much better experience and longevity compared to everything else I have used, including Strolz and Sidas foam liners. No experience however with Intuition.

I have found Zipfits to be very comfortable, probably partly because you don’t need to screw the buckles down to race-tightness to achieve great heel & forefoot hold-down. Some reviewers have said they are cold, but I cannot say I have noticed any significant difference between them and foam or stock liners. Using the recommended approach of putting the liners on first and then the shell (and the opposite for removal) is easy. It also means the liner is out of the boot each night, allowing them to dry out better.

The negatives? After 300 days, they now look really trashed from the abrasion caused by repetitive insertion / extraction into and out the boot shell. They still function, but the cosmetics are not good! The toe box is made of neoprene, which is not water-proof. If your shell leaks, then your feet will get wet. Finally... they are expensive (but possibly not on a $/day basis).

That is something I have thought about. Every time I pull out my stock liners shoving them back into the boot seems to take its toll. I know they suggest warming your boots to make them pliable, but still...
 

wallyk

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Would like to hear some more info about the Intuition liners........shop near me recommended them as a replacement last for my Lange RX110's that have about 150 days on them. Want to hear more info and insights before moving forward.
 

Wade

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Intuitions are solid liners and work for a lot of people. Zip Fits are significantly better.

I think the difference in the quality, durability and performance of Zip Fits vs Intuitions is approximately in line with difference in price.
 

David Chaus

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I can’t compare them as I’ve never used a Zip Fit. My old Full Tilt boots came with Intuition wrap liners; I got Intuition Race FX liners for my Tecnica Mach 1 120 LV boots. I noticed a big difference in warmth over the stock Tecnica liners (which I otherwise liked). I really like the heat moldability of the Intuition liners and the fit is perfect.
 

RuleMiHa

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Would like to hear some more info about the Intuition liners........shop near me recommended them as a replacement last for my Lange RX110's that have about 150 days on them. Want to hear more info and insights before moving forward.
I have the Intuition Pro Tongue. I love them and they are warmer than the stock liners from my Lange's & Head's. I've never used the Zipfit's so I can't comment or compare, but I've felt like it was money well spent.
 

bbinder

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I have only used Intuition liners and have been very happy with them, but I find myself wondering from time to time if zipfits would be even better... If you go with Intuition liners, I would recommend going with one of the lace up versions.
 

cantunamunch

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Would like to hear some more info about the Intuition liners........shop near me recommended them as a replacement last for my Lange RX110's that have about 150 days on them. Want to hear more info and insights before moving forward.

Ease of entry -> Intuition beats ZipFit by a mile. Intuition lets you ooze into your boot where ZipFit makes you do the yank squirm yank dance.

Heel hold -> ZipFit beats Intuition; if there is a bad ankle fit Intuition will pack out faster

Warmth -> Intuition all the way

Fitting -> ZipFit Gara is a drop in; Intuition you need do the moulding process, and doing it properly does make a difference in apparent flex, in boot cuff feel, in toe box feel, in buckle tightness and in overall ease of use.

Self-accomodation-> Gara adapts to your foot the longer you ski; Intuition stays mostly as moulded as it ever was, unless you have a bad fit (roomy) spot in your boot. This means that Gara also *loses* the adaptive fit - say you take 3 days off skiing and you left your boots on the dryer overnight, the Gara won't fit as nice as it did on the day you last skied it. The Intuition doesn't care.

Intuition failure modes are wrinkles in the liner, misaligned overlap, and too much material left in the boot. Work with a shop that has experience moulding them.

Intuition tongues suck - waaaay too soft and squishy. There is no foam density gradation between your shin and the front of the boot cuff. Intuition tongues are to Lange RX tongues like plush pillows are to yoga blocks. If you push the front of the boot hard, go wrap. You'll thank me. If you're prone to shin bang, go wrap. You'll thank me.

Intuition wraps have a mythos of stiffening the boot. This stiffening is caused by bad moulding process and not the liners themselves. When the liner was hot too much material was left in front of the shin so when you attempt to flex forward there is nowhere for that material to go and it resists compression. A good shop will know to pull material up out of the boot during the cook, and will know how much tension to put.

Black Intuitions are for sub-10mm fits - if you are AT ALL doubtful about liner thickness, pick the gray or gold one. But seriously, anyone even thinking about black Intuitions should be looking at ZipFits instead - better laces, better tongue, better heel hold and equivalent warmth. Yes, equivalent warmth, black Intutions simply have too little material in them to be warm.
 
Last edited:

Noodler

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I have many pairs of both types of liners. So if you have any questions, fire away. I think most of the prior posts have outlined the differences and pros/cons. All I'll say is that after many seasons of skiing both types in many of the available models, I only ski in ZipFit now exclusively in all my shells. And that's saying something because my right leg is so messed up that an Intuition liner is much easier to adapt to the funky shape of my shin and ankle, but the ZipFit performance is so far superior, that I'm willing to give up some comfort for my leg.
 

Ken_R

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So far I like my intuition Pro Tongue Liners:

Pluses:

Great Fit (Feet are locked in there and just held well and snug every time)

Warmth (the are warmer than any other foam liner I have tried)

Performance (at least with the Pro Tongue, the liners add stiffness to the boot, that is something I wanted)

Minuses:

Getting my feet in them is TOUGH, the foam is high density (this is what makes the liners great) and does no yield

They might be too warm in higher temps specially when touring

The cuff height is a tad shorter than the stock liners (Atomic Hawx XTD 120) but still go above the shell.
 

Pete in Idaho

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Ken did you go to Intuition immediately in the Hawks or did you wait for the original liners to pack out. I have the same boots and am still using the original liners. My previous boots had Intuition pro liners which I also liked very much. Just curious. Agree with your pros and cons re. the Intuition liners.

I had my pro liners reheated and the heel slid over to the side and I didn't realize. I could never get the liner to fit right again. Went to the wrong shop for that one, ugh.
 

Noodler

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I have a set of Pro Tongue liners too. I used them in my Head Raptor Overkill shells. The Pro Tongue has fairly dense/firm/stiff foam compared to other Intuition models (although the Pro/Plug Wrap is quite similar, but thinner). The tongue on the Pro Tongue is also quite stiff.

If you have a great shell fit; a tight fit across all the key "control" areas of your foot (heel, ankle, instep), then an Intuition will give you a high performance fit and is generally warmer than other liners. Just don't expect an Intuition to perform magic if your shell fit isn't quite right. It will certainly help for some time, but Intuition liners do break down eventually (although much slower that typical stock liners).

ZipFit liners break-in, they don't break down. That doesn't mean they don't wear out, but the fit does improve over time and the best part is that it's a "dynamic" fit; it adjusts to your feet on any given day.
 

Ken_R

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Ken did you go to Intuition immediately in the Hawks or did you wait for the original liners to pack out. I have the same boots and am still using the original liners. My previous boots had Intuition pro liners which I also liked very much. Just curious. Agree with your pros and cons re. the Intuition liners.

I had my pro liners reheated and the heel slid over to the side and I didn't realize. I could never get the liner to fit right again. Went to the wrong shop for that one, ugh.

I used the stock liners for quite a few days in the resort and also touring in the backcountry. They did pack out a tad but they still fit well. I just wanted to stiffen up the boots specially for when I had the extra weight of my backpack on. I also wanted to add some warmth. The Hawx XTDs are not as cold as my Langes but still could use some improvement. The stock XTD liner is more flexible so tours a tad better although it would benefit from having laces like the ones in the Intuitions.
 

Ulmerhutte

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Ken did you go to Intuition immediately in the Hawks or did you wait for the original liners to pack out. ...

I bought the Hawx Prime 130 boots this last February. I thought I would use the stock liners until they packed out and then install the Zipfits from my previous boots. That joke lasted for about a week... just could not get the hold-down and comfort, even with a lot of messing around in the ski shop. Threw away the stock liners and went back to the Zipfits. Chalk and cheese!
 
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RikkiBobbi

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OK...so ZipFit perform the best.

What footbed/inserts are the best?
 

Ulmerhutte

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I have proper orthotics because of various foot problems and they work well. NB: this may be obvious, but my ski boot orthotics are different to those I wear in hiking boots (I did ask the question!).
 

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